WEST HAVEN, CONN. – The executive dean of the University of New Haven’s College of Business has a message for incoming students: trump my entrepreneurship competition on Facebook and I will give you a full four-year tuition scholarship worth more than $120,000.

The online competition, which will have up to four awardees, is open to any incoming freshman or transfer student admitted to UNH's College of Business. It is the first time in the university’s nearly 100-year history that a challenge such as this has been given to students.

The “Dean’s Scholarship Challenge” Facebook competition seeks out students who have a passion for entrepreneurship, which the UNH College of Business emphasizes, said Larry Flanagan, executive dean of the college.

“We’re looking to discover students who have the potential to become future leaders in the business world, as many UNH College of Business alumni already have,” said Flanagan, himself a UNH alumnus. As the former chief global marketing officer for MasterCard, he spearheaded the famous “Priceless” advertising campaign before retiring and joining UNH.

“This is a really exciting time for the College of Business which is adding new programs and expanding its portfolio,” he said. “We want students with an entrepreneurial spirit to know their education here will prepare them for a successful career.”

Participants are asked to create a Facebook page for a business they wish to create. As part of the project, they will have to define what the business is, what it does, why it is unique, why it is needed, and how it will be positioned to achieve and sustain long-term success.

The student also must state why he or she is the person who should lead the business. Participants are encouraged to demonstrate ingenuity and to be creative. Entrants will be judged by Flanagan and a panel of faculty, alumni and business leaders.

In order to enter, prospective students must first visit the Dean’s Scholarship Challenge Facebook page at www.facebook.com/deanschallenge. A brief overview of the contest can be found within the “Info” tab and the full contest rules, as well as the process for submitting an application, can be found under “The Challenge” tab located on the left side of the page.

The scholarships will cover tuition for four years, providing the student maintains a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Up to four scholarships will be awarded. All submissions are due by March 1 and winners will be announced on March 16.

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 on the campus of Yale University in cooperation with Northeastern University, UNH moved to its current West Haven campus in 1960. The University provides its students with a unique combination of a solid liberal arts education and real-world, hands-on career and research opportunities. UNH enrolls approximately 6,400, including nearly 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates – the majority of whom reside in University housing. Through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, Tagliatela College of Engineering, and University College, UNH offers 75 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UNH students have access to more than 50 study abroad programs worldwide and its student-athletes compete in 16 varsity sports in the NCAA Division II’s highly competitive Northeast-10 Conference.